1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to voice communication and, more particularly, to systems and methods for voice communication using speech compression and modem technologies.
2. Related Art
Today, various means are employed to access the central office (“CO”) for voice communications. For example, residential customers use the standard twisted pair for voice communications through the CO. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, communication system 105, such as those used by commercial entities and large enterprises, use T1/E1 line 110 for voice connectivity to CO 115. As shown, CO 115 routes the voice traffic through T1/E1 line 110 through public switched telephone network (“PSTN”) lines 120 for delivery to the ultimate recipients of the voice communications.
A major drawback of T1/E1 line 110 or other broadband media is the tremendous cost associated with such services. For example, today, the service cost for a single T1 line is about $500-$1,200 per month. This price is extremely high when compared to the monthly cost of a twisted pair or an analog telephone line, which is about $10-$15 per month. On the other hand, a twisted pair or an analog telephone line can only support one voice channel, whereas a T1 line is capable of supporting up to 24 voice channels and an E1 line is capable of supporting up to 30 voice channels.
Accordingly, there is an intense need for a new voice access or communication model that can provide a communication bandwidth comparable to T1/E1 lines, but at the cost comparable to that of an analog telephone line.